HI, my name is Luke Dragstra and I am a Canadian Pro Triathlete with Dutch heritage who competes in Germany, of all places. I found myself landed on Planet X Germany team this year and to my surprize a Pink Stealth Carbon Pro was sent. I thought I might be a mistake but I was soon to find out that Michi Hoffman, my training partner, and Susanne my Coach also recieved pink bikes! So we are in PINK… but I have been rationalizing the situation and it all makes sense now. Two years ago I was training under Brett Sutton on Team TBB and was clad in Pink. Back then, the saying was that Pink is the new Black, so.. it would follow that I am BACK IN BLACK as pink would now simply be black, as back then it was the NEW black.
Anyway, the bike rides awesome!! Coming off a Cervelo sponsorship, I didn’t really know what to expect from the Stealth Pro Carbon. I can tell you, it is more comfortable and just as stiff, plus I get a much better position on it, PLUS it is pink (black).
I was able to tag off my first win over Paul Amey at the Auckland Half IM after having been on the Stealth for only a few weeks and I am looking to snag a few more as the season progresses.
Happy to be part of the team and to be BACK IN BLACK …
I hit the sack
I’ve been too long I’m glad to be back
Yes, I’m let loose
From the noose
That’s kept me hanging about
I’ve been looking at the sky
‘Cause it’s gettin’ me high
Looking at the sky
Fire yer guns!

Soze Ize been haning in Roth with my new training partner Michi and getting the next phase rolling. Michi is Coach Susanna’s partner but Susanne is running a training camp in Mallorca so for the time being, their place is our bacherlor’s pad. Michi is the Firefighter’s world champ at Long Distance Triathlon and has a best time of 8hrs28min for IronDistance, and a very good training partner, as he stays with the plan and doesn’t get too racey in training. I have been hampered a little by a cold that took hold again after the long flight from Auckland. But that is gone and the weather has been pretty favourable for good riding. The training highlight is the saturday ride from Fritz Buchstaller’s bike shop in Hilpoltstein. The cool short form for Hilpolstein is ‘Hip’, hence the ‘Hip’ ride… so a good round of ‘100th Meridian’ or ‘Little Bones’ (The Tragically Hip for you non Canadians) gets me on pace. Basically the local hammerheads meet up and rip a lap of the bike course after a decent warm up. This a great ride because it is TT bike acceptable and isn’t a roadie ’sit and attack’ type ride but a consistent hard paced 2 hrs and change around the 85km bike loop for Challenge Roth. I took it a bit light last week and let the guys go at the start while tightenning up my shoes. Before I got a chance to look up the road the guys were 100m away and moving fast. It took me a few km’s to catch and the pace didn’t let up. It did sag a bit in the middle and I thought the guys had worn themselves out. Fat chance; they brought it home solid and we cruised through the lap in about 2hrs 13min (38.5kmh avg) with a pretty solid wind. They tell me they often ride it under 2hrs 10min as summer approaches and most of the guys are capable of 4hrs 40min on race day (some do the relay and some the whole challenge). Anyway, it is turning out to be a key ride for me to turn it on and up my game on the bike. The area has great running trails and although we have to drive a bit to get decent swims, that is life in germany. I will be hanging here for a few weeks yet but will soon move to Crailsheim (which is only 100km from here) as the League season will soon begin. I have also dialed in Challenge Barcelona for may 24 as the next key race going into Roth.

I met a man from Kenya when I raced in Powerman Malaysia last year. I talked to him after the event and it was a real eye openner to hear about his life and family. He has 5 kids and they have a small farm. He supports his family and still gets out to train as much as he can. It sounded like a really hard life and I could sense that it was a struggle for him as there are hard times in Kenya. However, he smiled so big when he spoke of his family and the happiness that came from him was very contageous.
I have been in touch of and on with him and recently he wrote me and could sense that he was going through extremely hard times. After a few mails back and forth this is what he wrote.

Hello Luke.
Thanks for your reply.
I always think that life is tough everywhere.
In Kenya , I am starving with my family because the rains failed and our produce from the farm failed.
I have now seen the need to purchase a generator so as to pump water from a stream which is in our area, so that I can grow a few vegetables and food crops. I appeal to you and your friends to assist me so that I can purchase the generator . A generator of this purpose costs about 600 u.s. dollars. Had the rains not failed, then I would have been able to purchase one by selling some of the harvest. Right now we are hopeless and any good friend like you would change our lives if you tried a little kindness. Please let me know what you decide. I would still call you my great friend irregardless of the decision you make.
Nice time.
Chrispine and family( wife Milly and children florence, Joy, Manuel, Rose and Daphne.)

I am rounding up some funds to send to him. There are hundreds of thousands of kenyans affected by the drought but it hits home when you have met someone and looked into their eyes and shared some stories. I suppose most of you are aware of my income as a pro triathlete but I am going to try to cover 300usd. If and you can spare 10 or 20 or 50 bucks to help support Chrispine and his family I will send an autograph card to you. Your small donation will save a family from an extreme situation and possible help his entire communty to get through this or the next drought. If you can help, just get in touch with me through the website or at lukedrags@yahoo.com and I will get you details on how I will send the funds to Chrispine in Kenya.